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"From 2007 to 2009 vulnerabilities in a typical end-user PC almost doubled from about 220 to 420."

Non-Microsoft software to blame for increase in vulnerabilities affecting typical Windows end-users, read more:

http://secunia.com/gfx/pdf/Secunia_Half_Year_Report_2010.pdf


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TITLE:
Pidgin X-Status Message Denial of Service Weakness

SECUNIA ADVISORY ID:
SA40699

VERIFY ADVISORY:
Secunia.com
http://secunia.com/advisories/40699/
Customer Area (Credentials Required)
https://ca.secunia.com/?page=viewadvisory&vuln_id=40699

RELEASE DATE:
2010-07-23

DISCUSS ADVISORY:
http://secunia.com/advisories/40699/#comments

AVAILABLE ON SITE AND IN CUSTOMER AREA:
 * Last Update
 * Popularity
 * Comments
 * Criticality Level
 * Impact
 * Where
 * Solution Status
 * Operating System / Software
 * CVE Reference(s)

http://secunia.com/advisories/40699/

ONLY AVAILABLE IN CUSTOMER AREA:
 * Authentication Level
 * Report Reliability
 * Secunia PoC
 * Secunia Analysis
 * Systems Affected
 * Approve Distribution
 * Remediation Status
 * Secunia CVSS Score
 * CVSS

https://ca.secunia.com/?page=viewadvisory&vuln_id=40699

ONLY AVAILABLE WITH SECUNIA CSI AND SECUNIA PSI:
 * AUTOMATED SCANNING

http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/personal/
http://secunia.com/vulnerability_scanning/corporate/wsus_sccm_3rd_third_party_patching/

DESCRIPTION:
A weakness has been reported in Pidgin, which can be exploited by
malicious people to cause a DoS (Denial of Service).

The weakness is caused due to a NULL pointer dereference error in the
oscar protocol plugin when processing X-Status messages. This can be
exploited to cause a crash when an X-Status message, which contains a
"<desc>" or "<title>" tag with no respective closing tag, is being
processed.

The weakness is reported in versions prior to 2.7.2.

SOLUTION:
Update to version 2.7.2.

PROVIDED AND/OR DISCOVERED BY:
Reported by the vendor.

ORIGINAL ADVISORY:
http://www.pidgin.im/news/security/index.php?id=47

OTHER REFERENCES:
Further details available in Customer Area:
http://secunia.com/products/corporate/EVM/

DEEP LINKS:
Further details available in Customer Area:
http://secunia.com/products/corporate/EVM/

EXTENDED DESCRIPTION:
Further details available in Customer Area:
http://secunia.com/products/corporate/EVM/

EXTENDED SOLUTION:
Further details available in Customer Area:
http://secunia.com/products/corporate/EVM/

EXPLOIT:
Further details available in Customer Area:
http://secunia.com/products/corporate/EVM/

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About:
This Advisory was delivered by Secunia as a free service to help
private users keeping their systems up to date against the latest
vulnerabilities.

Subscribe:
http://secunia.com/advisories/secunia_security_advisories/

Definitions: (Criticality, Where etc.)
http://secunia.com/advisories/about_secunia_advisories/


Please Note:
Secunia recommends that you verify all advisories you receive by
clicking the link.
Secunia NEVER sends attached files with advisories.
Secunia does not advise people to install third party patches, only
use those supplied by the vendor.

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